Infernal Hunt Complete Set

by Holly Evans

  “I intended on proposing to Evelyn. I wanted it to be a romantic surprise. I was asking Elise if I could do that,” he snarled.

  The room went silent.

  “You can’t,” Kadrix huffed. All eyes turned on him. He lifted his chin. “I was going to propose to Quin. Anyway, you have a lifetime bond. What more do you want?” he said, gesturing at Lysander’s collar.

  Lysander’s nostrils flared; he curled his hands into tight fists and ground his teeth together.

  “I want to stand as her equal. As her other half, instead of her servant. I want to be her husband, instead of simply her hound,” he growled at Kadrix while maintaining hard eye-contact.

  I stepped in front of him and gently ran my hand over his cheek.

  “This means a lot to you? This wedding idea?” I asked softly.

  He looked down at me; the fire dissolved, and his eyes softened. He went to argue, to make some statement. I felt his arm tense ready to gesture.

  I placed my finger on his lips to stop him and said, “This means a lot to you, yes?”

  He smiled. I took my finger away and placed my hand over his heart.

  “Yes,” he said.

  I ran my hand over his collar and up over his jawline.

  “You’re my other half. I can’t imagine a world without you at my side. If getting married means a lot to you, then we’ll get married,” I said.

  He wrapped his arms around my waist, the warmth of his happiness flooding the bond.

  “You will have to wait until after our wedding. You will not outshine us,” Kadrix said.

  I turned to glare at him.

  Quin placed his hand on the elf’s cheek and said solemnly, “And what if I don’t want to marry you?”

  The elf looked aghast. He went as white as a sheet. Quin laughed softly and kissed him tenderly.

  “Of course I want to marry you, you silly elf,” he said.

  We laughed as Kadrix looked so relieved. The rest of the room erupted with cheers. Kadrix and Quin kissed with increased passion as the rest of the room encouraged them. The tension evaporated, the situation surrounding us temporarily forgotten. Word quickly spread through the building; everyone was laughing and smiling. It wouldn’t last, but it would help keep people going. That was important in this time of darkness.

  Lysander nuzzled my neck and relaxed against me. I fought back tears of joy.

  “Don’t cry, Evelyn,” he whispered before he brushed his lips over my jawline.

  “I never thought I’d have this.” I whispered.

  He held me close, the warmth in the bond saying everything words didn’t.

  We went and helped the alchemists as best as we could. They were very patient and explained things as though I were a child. For once, I was grateful. I didn’t want to fuck something up and have someone die thanks to my mistake. Lysander stood at my side, carefully pouring powders into odd little orbs. I mixed pastes and spread them over bright silver and gold feathers. They had explained that we were helping to make weapons; that was good enough for me.

  Every now and again, a fae of some shape or form would try and ask us about the Quin and Kadrix situation; apparently no fae had been married before. They were bemused by the entire concept. Sidhe tended to choose one or two life partners, but there was no contract there. Pixies and elves, however, were quite firmly polygamous. There were a few who were monogamous, Tabs and Brennan being one such pair, but they still didn’t get married. That just wasn’t a fae concept.

  In the end, we simply told them to go and ask them themselves. I had no idea how Kadrix planned on going about it, or even why he’d decided to. It made Quin happy, and that was the important part.

  The next shift had taken over; the battle against the witches was finally beginning to go our way. We’d be back out in the field at sunrise. We were settling down for bed when Quin and Kadrix came into the room. I propped myself up on my elbows, but Lysander beat me to it.

  “I am tired of being asked how you will get married; can you kindly explain it?” he said.

  Kadrix opened his mouth and spread his hands as though preparing an elaborate explanation. Quin cut him off, which was fortunate, given I needed sleep before sunrise.

  “We will have a ceremony similar to a normal human ceremony, there will be gifts exchanged and a contract signed. We will effectively belong to each other,” Quin said.

  I shrugged to myself and settled down in Lysander’s arms; it seemed quite reasonable and standard to me. Lysander’s lips brushed over my temple.

  “Sleep well, Evelyn,” he whispered.

  Felix had been replaced with a quiet, older female lycan. She stood a little aside from the rest of the team, her dark amber eyes watching everyone as we double-checked our weapons and alchemical odds and ends. Quin had been delighted to hand us all the dark purple orbs that we put into pouches on our belts.

  “They’re small bombs; they’re attuned to fae essence, so please be careful around the fae members of your team,” he’d told us.

  Leif had rolled one around the palm of his hand before he carefully put it in his pouch. The Sidhe stood with his head high and his chin lifted; he was a confident warrior. Mayhem had refused to carry them. She said her blades were all she needed. I looked around our team once more, a feeling of pride swelling within me. We were going to take back our city. Together.

  The journey over to the Charles Bridge was tense. Everyone was ready to start tearing down the enemy. The priests had been delighted to tell us they were nearly there with the fae network. The enemy fae would be far weaker than usual. The witches were retreating back to the cathedral, where this had all started. We were gaining ground. We had a chance, and we were going to make everything we could of it.

  The bridge was the tourist focal point of the city; it was usually bustling with people. Perfect for the enemy to make themselves known and make people freak out. Someone high up had closed down the bridge for the day so that we could end this. The night team was firmly entrenched in battles with lots of fae. Pixies jumped from statue to statue, where they tried to throw things down at our guys. It seemed oddly fitting that so many of the statues depicted torture in some form or another. Mayhem quickly vaulted up onto the wall and joined them. We each fell into place. The lycans charged in and dispersed what they could while getting our guys out of there. The elves alternated their magic with their blades. Mayhem threw everything she could down into the river, usually having dismembered them first.

  The dark water of the river swirled down below us, red frothed around the archways. Reflections of the magic shattered and reformed in the ripples, the bright colours dulled by the water itself. The bridge had once brought the two halves of the city together, centuries previous; it seemed fitting that it would do so once more.

  Leif and Bronwyn tucked themselves down into a defensible corner and increased the magical protections around us. Lysander shifted into his full hound form, complete with fire. That scattered a few of the enemy and encouraged others. Bryn and I fought as a well-oiled machine. His carefully considered attacks were balanced by my vicious and aggressive ones. I danced behind him while he covered my back. When the enemy started to crowd in too closely, I threw one of Quin’s little alchemical orbs. It had one hell of a bang to it. The redcaps and Sidhe practically imploded, leaving nothing but a scattering of black dust behind. The witches froze for a brief second, their eyes had gone wide. There weren’t any summoned beasts this time. We were winning.

  Together, we drove the witches back towards Malá Strana, where Sam and the female lycan were waiting for us. Lysander joined us, pushing them back; the elves and Mayhem began pushing from the sides. They ran along the broad stone walls, between the tall blackened statues as though they were running on the bridge proper. A couple of them brushed their fingers over the gold parts of a couple of the statues where they’d been rubbed clean by tourists looking for a little extra luck. We were winning, but I wasn’t going to turn down any further blessings
we could get.

  We hacked down any who got close enough as we closed in around them. Suddenly, the fae in the enemy ranks all went deathly pale, their movements becoming slow and stiff. We charged. The buildings closed in around the bridge once more where we had crossed the river and were pushing back into the city.

  Nothing was safe from our blades and fire. They screamed and dropped before us. My blades cut through flesh and bone. The sounds of death and victory filled the air.

  We didn’t get much respite. Once we’d returned from defeating the witches and managed to eat some food, the priests and alchemists separated us and started explaining the progress they had made. Kadrix and Quin had taken Lysander and me out into the small courtyard.

  “We have been working with your hound, with Lysander, to make something rather special,” Kadrix said.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn’t sure I liked where that was going. He sighed.

  “I trust you remember the dark magic beasts you fought,” the elf said.

  I nodded. I remembered all too clearly.

  “We believe that, with a little alchemical help, you and Lysander can create hellfire equivalents. Can you imagine the difference that would make to our efforts, Evelyn?”

  I tilted my head a little; that sounded far beyond my capabilities. I was still barely able to form a fireball.

  “The alchemy will help unlock your full abilities, Evie. The potential is absolutely fantastic! I’ve been working with shadows. I can’t wait to try it out in the field. The witches won’t stand a chance!” Quin said, a grin plastered on his face.

  I exhaled slowly and gave him a small smile; I’d try. For him.

  “We’re so close now, Evelyn. We need every advantage we can get,” Kadrix said.

  I held up my hands. “I’ll try it. What do I have to do?”

  He held out his hand, two bright yellow tablets sat on his palm. “Take one each.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “And the side-effects are?”

  He gave be an infuriated look. I took one and dry swallowed it. Somehow it tasted like sunflowers and ash; I wasn’t sure what sunflowers tasted like. A tingling quickly spread through my body. It began pleasantly, but quickly began to feel like an army of ants crawling under my skin. I prepared to throttle the elf, but it vanished in the blink of an eye. I looked at Lysander, who grinned at me, fire jumping between his hands. I didn’t feel any different; maybe they’d misjudged it.

  “We don’t have all day, Evelyn. Try.”

  “Try what?”

  “Form a fire creature,” Kadrix said as he crossed his arms.

  Lysander turned his back to them and focused on the open area, a small red fire forming some five feet in front of him. It wriggled and squirmed, splitting and reforming before it turned into something recognisable. A great hound stood grinning at us. Lysander echoed its expression.

  “You’re a genius, Kadrix,” he said, his eyes not leaving the hound.

  “Come along, Evelyn,” Kadrix said.

  I formed my fire, the familiar ball forming in my chest. The fire coursed down my arms and pooled in my hands. I pushed it outwards, trying to make it pool on the floor as Lysander’s had. It sputtered and flickered, remaining firmly on my hands. I frowned, and tried again. Nothing. Lysander nipped the top of my ear.

  “Try again, Evelyn. You can do this,” he said softly.

  The fire spluttered and sparked but refused to budge again. On the fourth attempt, I’d had enough. I could feel Kadrix’s eyes boring into my back, blaming me and my failure. I turned and saw the disappointment written all over Quin’s face.

  “I can’t,” I growled.

  “Yes you can, Evelyn. Stop being a foolish girl.”

  “I am not capable. I’m not a fucking hellhound. I’m just bonded to one. I’m not good enough,” I spat at him.

  “You’re being weak and melodramatic. Stop holding yourself back,” Kadrix snapped back.

  I glared at him for a long moment before I left the courtyard. I was done.

  We were so close. Everything was coming together. Everything except for me. I paced around the bedroom and tried to calm myself. I couldn’t be the weak link. I wasn’t going to let that happen. Yet… I squeezed my eyes closed and took a long deep breath. Footsteps came down the hallway. I kept my back to the door and tried to compose myself, to present a suitable mask.

  “Sit down, Evelyn, I have something I need to tell you,” Lysander said.

  I frowned and turned to face him. His mouth was down turned at the corners, his gaze held mine while he gestured at our bed. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I sat down. Quin and Kadrix sat on their bed opposite me. I braced for the worst.

  Lysander took my hand in his and stroked his thumb in circles over my inner wrist.

  “Perhaps I should have told you this sooner, but you weren’t ready.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “You know your blood is different. You understand that you’re different. I need to tell you why that is.”

  I looked to Quin searching his face to see if he knew. He gave me a half smile. My heart stuttered.

  Lysander squeezed my hand, bringing my focus back to him.

  “I was told your story… before I came here. You and Quin are quite well known in the infernal realms.” His eyes flicked away. “Your parents struggled to conceive. They were desperate for children, but your mother couldn’t get pregnant. She… The witches and fae couldn’t, or wouldn’t, help her. So she turned to the only other option. She did a demon deal. My ex-master agreed to allow your mother to get pregnant once, and only once. In return, her children would each have a drop of infernal blood within them.”

  My chest tightened.

  Lysander smiled. “Your father had no idea. He was ecstatic when he found out she was not only pregnant, but carrying twins. He was so concerned about your welfare that he turned to the celestials. He struck a deal with them, to ensure that you and your mother would be healthy throughout the pregnancy. The celestials agreed; in return, they put a drop of celestial blood in you and Quin, and they took your parents when you turned eighteen. My ex-master had intended on using you and Quin from the moment that deal was struck.”

  Thoughts wouldn’t form in my mind. Lysander ran his thumb along my jawline.

  “They loved each other dearly and wanted to make sure you had the very best in life. You’re special, Evelyn.”

  My heartbeat rang in my ears. I’d suspected there was something odd, all of the signs were there, but I hadn’t dared consider something like that.

  “We need to use the gifts our parents gave us, Evie,” Quin said.

  I slowly turned to look at him. “How long have you known?”

  He chewed on his bottom lip and gave a shrug. “I’m an alchemist.”

  Lysander nuzzled my neck. “Use this, Evelyn. Focus on the good you can do.”

  I took a long deep breath and reminded myself of everything that was at stake. “How do I do this?”

  Kadrix grinned at me. “You will do amazing things, Evelyn.”

  I gave him a weak smile. No pressure.

  54

  I had some twenty-four hours to accept what I was and control the new skill that I had developed out of thin air. Once Quin had explained things in a way that Kadrix understood, he backed off and gave me some room to breathe. Of course, word had spread through our number. Whispers of great shadow beasts and creatures formed of hellfire hung in the air. Conversations paused when I walked past to try again. We were the saviours, or so they said. I squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn’t a saviour. The priests and priestesses, the fae, the witches, and the alchemists. They were the saviours. They had worked tirelessly with everything they had to get us to where we were. I was nothing more than a set of blades and a healthy dose of bloodlust.

  I stared up over the tall walls of the courtyard at the inky black sky while I tried to come to terms with everything. Lysander appeared in front of me. He wrapped his hands aroun
d my upper arms.

  “Evelyn. I understand that you feel a great weight on your shoulders, but understand that each and every one of those people has faith in you. Not because of your blood, but because of your actions to date.”

  I went to argue with him. He placed his finger on my lips.

  “I know you can do this. I will be with you every step of the way.”

  What choice did I have?

  Taking a deep breath, I focused on breaking down my mental walls and allowing the fire to run through my body. It trickled down my shoulders and pooled in the hollow of my collarbone. Slowly it grew in intensity. I could feel the flames dancing over my skin, caressing me much the way Lysander did in our precious quiet moments. Slowly, I opened my eyes and grinned. Lysander was standing somewhere next to me, I could feel his presence, but I didn’t dare look. Instead, I took another deep breath and formed the image of a great fiery hound in my mind. My own hound had been the one to get me through the war, it seemed fitting to have hounds working with me through fire. The image of a hound gave me strength when I feared I had none.

  I pressed the fire into the shape, mentally pushing and tugging it before I allowed a sense of personality to flicker through the bright orange flames. Each creature required a piece of me within it. That meant I was limited in how many I could make. I could only spare so much energy after all. I blinked when it began to emerge out of the darkness.

  It began as yellow sparks, but quickly exploded into a fury of blues and whites that stretched upwards and lazily sprawled out along the flagstones. I maintained the image and thought of a hound in my mind, commanding it to form. Much to my amazement, it worked. A large hound with flickering blue eyes and yellow teeth as long as my fingers strode towards me. Its great head almost reached my shoulder when it sat before me, awaiting my command. I’d done it. A tear ran down my cheek. We had a chance.

  Lysander kissed my temple tenderly. “Well done, Evelyn.”